Excavating-bucket



W. M. VENABLE.

EXCAVATING BUCKET.

APPLICATION HLED MAY27, ma.

Patentd'liin 7 1921.

2 SHEETS-$HEET l.

INVENTOR W. M. VENABLE.

EXCAVATING BUCKET.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 27. 19l8.

1,380,444. Patented June 7, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- F'IE.E. l a 8 9 i: N OR wrrnsssss I9 0' ZMJfiAW. I6 20l9 2 Mam/04m Ul-TED STATES PATENT eerie.

WILLIAM IaI. VENABLE, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR 'lOBLAW-KNOX COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

EXCAVATING-BUCKET.

Application filed May 27,

new and useful Improvements in Excavating-Buckets, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My present invention relates to excavating buckets and has referencemore particularly to buckets of the clam shell type. This invention hasfor one of its principal objects to produce a wideopening bucket whosescoops are hinged together by a common hinge pin and wherein the closingmechanism is so positioned with reference thereto that the head roomrequired for the articulated scoops is reduced to a minimum. Anotherobject is to provide a construction of bucket whereby four-line reevingmay desirably be employed, that is to say, the bucket may be reeved ontwo continuous lines in the bight of both lines so that when thebucketis suspended there are four parts of line reeving its upper frame. Whenreeved in this way, both lines may be pulled through the bucket withoutchanging its position whenever it is desired to accommodate certaintypes of hoisting and conveying mechanism. The construction permits,however, the permanent attachment to some part of the bucket of the endof either or both of the lines, and the leading out of end portions ofthe same to the supporting means.

A further object is to simplify and materially strengthen theconstruction and arrangement and to increase the efficiency and utilityof buckets of this type.

My invention also contemplates certain novel details of construction,combination and arrangement of parts of the improved bucket, wherebycertain other important advantages are attained, as will be more fullydescribed hereinafter, and pointed out in the claims. These, togetherwith such other objects as may be incident to my invention, I attain bymeans of a construction illustrated in preferred form in theaccompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 represents a view in sideelevation of a bucket to which my invention is shown applied, the dottedlines therein indicating the full open position of the scoops as theywould appear when at rest upon the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 7, 1921. 1918. Serial No. 236,687.

ground and the operating line slacked ofi; Fig. 2 is another sideelevation of the bucket showing it in the act of being closed by theline; Figs. 3 and and end views of the bucket when closed; Fig. 5represents a modified arrangement of sheaves in the upper frame of thebucket; and Fig. 6 is a modification of the hinging arrangement of theequalizer and corner bars with the upper frame.

In the views, the reference letters A de note the bucket scoops orsegments which are provided at their inner corners with extensions Bpivotally connected together by a hinge pin 7. C designates the upperframe of the bucket whose side plate members 8 are provided with endbrackets 9 above the corner brackets 10 of the scoop segments A, thelatter being supported from the upper frame by corner bars 11 whose endsare pivotally connected by pins 12 and 13 with the brackets 9 and 10respectively. The bucket is suspended from any suitable support by theholding line D, in the bight of which is a central sheave 14 rotativelymounted in plates 15. These latter are positioned diagonallyintermediate and are secured at their ends to the inner faces of theupper frame plates 8. It is obvious that this holding line may be passedaround the sheave 14 and fastened thereto, and only one end of the linetaken over head to the sup-,

port should it not be desired to have the line move around the sheavewhile the bucket is suspended. It would be equally feasible to removethe sheave and provide for a direct fastening to the upper frame C, inwhich case a further economy of headroom could be attained, but thebucket when thus reeved could not be employed with certain types ofhoists.

One important advantage of my invention, from a manufacturing standpointparticularly, resides in the fact that the scoops A with theirextensions B are each identical in construction and thereforeinterchange able; and this advantage extends to the'upper frame whoseparts on each side of its median line are also similar andinterchangeable. This relative similarity in the latter instance relatesto the side frame members 8; the inner sheaves 16, 17, 16 and 17' andtheir respective pivot pins 18 and 18' which are journaled in themembers 8 and in extensions 15' of the plates 15; the outer 4 arerespectively top plan disposed i sheaves occupy a position sheaves 19and 19'; the guide pulleys 20 and 20; the plates 21 and 21'; the cableguards 22 and 22; and the end brackets 9.

Each of these end brackets preferably consists of a laterally ribbeddistance portion a for spacing apart the upper frame members 8 and towhich it is permanently secured,

"and a lower trunnion member in which is journaled the pivot pin 12 ofone of the airs of corner bars 11. The outer sheaves 19, 19, and pulleys20, 20 are respectively carried by pivots 23, 24;, 25 and 26 which arejournaled in the frame members 8 and plates 21, 21. It will be apparentfrom the above description that I provide a strong upper frameconstruction wherein the sheaves and pulleys are compactly arranged soas to cooperate fully with the pivoted extensions B and provide for aminimum headroom for the articulated scoop segments.

As already indicated these said ertensions B are identical inconstruction, and each embodies a lower arched portion comprising thearms 27 (see Fig. 4) whose lower ends are attached to the inner cornersof a scoop segment, an upper portion for the pivot pin 7 consisting ofspaced hubs 28 adapted to interfit with the complementary hubs 28 of theother'extension B, and an intermediate block or weight portionbifurcated intermediate and below the hubs28 to provide arms 29 throughwhich a pivot pin 30 extends in an inclinedplane to receive the lowersheaves 31 and 32 obliquely within the arms and below the pivot 7 theobliquity permitting proper leads of the operating or closing line Ewithrespect to the upper sets of sheaves in frame G.

The bight of the closing line E is supported on upper sheaves 17 and 17and the line is then successively reeved down around sheaves 31, 31, upand around sheaves 16, 16, down and around sheaves 32, 32, and thenceupwardly past the sheaves 19, 19, and guide pulleys 20, 20, the endsbeing carried to any suitable support. The dotted outline in Fig. 1 ofthe drawings indicates the wide open position of the bucket when thescoops are at rest and the operating line slackened. A pull on the lineoperates through the sheaves to exert a lift upon the hinge 7 of thebucket, and if continued. brings the scoops A into the closing positionindicated in Fig. 2 and then into closed loaded position as shown in Itwill be noted in this figure that the lower below the hinge when thebucket is closed, and above the hinge when the bucket is open, and withthe compact arrangement of the upper sheaves and frame the headroom forscoop move ment'is reduced to a minimum, while at the same timemaintaining a single hinge membar for the scoops and w1thout sacrificingin any Way the characteristic of full wide full lines in Fig. 1;

opening in open position of the scoops. The construction is furthermoreadapted to operate under all conditions of service and usage, and ischaracterized by improved efficiency, and increased strength anddurability in use. The upper sheaves are positioned in the frame C oneach side of the center line a sutficient distance out to provide forthe necessary clearances and to avoid any increase in the height of thebucket in order to provide room for the sheaves.

linen the bucket is in the open position shown in the dotted lines inFig. 1,'the lower sheaves, and the cables which pass around them, areprotected from contact with the material to be excavated by the memberB, in which the sheaves are pivoted, while the main hinge 7 is permittedto descend almost to a level with the cutting to have the cutting edgessubstantially horizontal when the scoop 1S fully closed.

The bucket as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and a, is reeved with the closingline leaving the bucket on opposite sides of the center line of thebucket. This reeving is adapted to certain types of hoisting rigs. Somehoists, however, require that the two ends of the closing line shallleave the bucket on the same side of the center line. here this isnecessary I modify the construction so as to permit the reeving shown inFig. 5, the upper sheaves only being shown in plan therein, it beingunderstood that the positioning of the lower sheaves is arrangedproperly so that the reeving of the lines is the same with reference tothe sheaves as hitherto described. With the reeving shown in Fig. bothends of the closing line may be wrapped upon a single hoisting drum, andboth ends of the hold line about another parallel drum, which is anarrangement frequently required on overhead cranes.

it will also be notedthat the upper frame is constructed of a lengthsufficient to bring the corner brackets 10 under the upper bearings ofthe corner bars so that when the bucket is closed these bars aresubstantially vertical. This general arrangement has the great advantageof causing the bucket to open much more readily than would be the caseif the upper ends of the corner bars were articulated near thecenterline of the bucket. In the latter instance it would rethe sheavesin the hinge castings B to those in the upper frame 0 is such as tosecure a very effective closing power with the length of line pulled.

I also provide equalizing bars 33 and 34 articulated together above thehinge 7 by means of a pin 35 carried by the end of the bar 84; so as towork in a slot 36 formed in the end of the other bar 33 during theclosing and opening movement of the scoops. These bars may each beintegral with a corner bar 11 or rigidly associated with a plate orbracket 37 common to both, as in Fig. 6, and operate to keep the scoopsat equal distances from the center line of the supporting frame as thebucket opens, and regardless as to whether the bucket be hanginghorizontally, or-resting upon the material in an inclined position.

I do not intend to restrict myself to the precise construction andarrangement of the various parts, as shown, as it is obvious thatvariations and adaptations thereof may be made, as for example thenumber of sheaves and the length of line pulled to close the bucket maybe increased, without in any way departing from the spirit and scope ofmy invention as expressed in the following claims. i

What I claim is:

1. A clam shell bucket comprising in com bination, a pair of scoopsegments, hinge members therefor pivotally connecting the segmentstogether, an upper frame extending longitudinally of the bucket,substantially vertical supporting bars between the frame and the scoopsegments, an operating sheave in the frame on each side of the hingepivot and an operating sheave in a hinge member on each side of thepivotal connection between the segments, and an operating cable reevedon said sheaves.

2. A bucket segmenthaving an upwardly extending member formed with apair of hinge elements near its upper end, and a segment closing sheavepivotally mounted in said member intermediate the segment and said hingeelements and positioned to incline toward one of said elements but nottoward the other.

A bucket segment having an upwardly extending member bridging betweenthe inner opposite side portions of said segment and terminally providedwith a pair of hinge elements, one of said elements positioned nearerthecenter line of the bucket than the other, and a segment closing sheave,said memberbeing formed below said elements in a manner whereby toconstitute a block for said sheave, and said sheave pivotally mounted insaid block and inclined therein toward the other of said elements.

4. In a clam-shell bucket, the combination of a pair of similar opposingscoop segments having upwardly extending hinge sections, a central hingemember pivotally connecting said sections, a jointed frame to which eachscoop member is hinged adjacent the back of said scoop, closing sheavespivoted in each scoop member adjacent to said central hinge and havingtheir axes spaced apart and parallel, and inclined with respect to theaxis of the hinge member and means coiiperating with said frame and saidsheaves to raise the hinge and thereby close the bucket.

In an excavating bucket, the combination of a pair of scoop segments, aframe therefor extending longitudinally in the direction of bucketopening movement, said segments provided with hinge members pivotallyconnected together, and bucket closing means mounted in said frame andsaid members, that part of said means mounted in said frame comprisingsheaves spaced apart in the longitudinal direction thereof and disposedon each side of and above the pivotal axis of said segments, and theback portions of the segments extending outwardly from said axis toterminate directly below the ends of said frame. i 6. In an excavatingbucket, the combination of an upper frame having upright corner bars atits end portions, a pair of scoop segments supported at their outercorners by said corner bars to swing outwardly away from said endportions and each provided at their upper inner corners with hingemembers extending upwardly toward said upper frame, each of said membersrecessed to provide a sheave block, and having hinge elements, a pivotalconnection for said elements, bucket operating sheaves for. said blocksand said upper frame, the sheaves in the upper frame longitudinallyspaced apart and disposed at each side of and above said pivotalconnections, and an operating cable reeved about said sheaves andthrough said sheave blocks and then upwardly past the frame andintermediately of the sheaves in said frame.

7.111 an excavating bucket, the combination of an upper frame, a pair ofscoop segments supported at their outer corners therefrom and eachprovided near their inner corners with hinge members formed to previde asheave block, and l'iavinga hinge element, a pivotal connection for saidelements, spaced bucket operating sheaves for said blocks and said upperframe, and a bucket operating cable reeved up and down in th bucketabout a sheave and a block sheave at each side of the pivotalconnection.

8. In an excavatingbucket, the combination of a longitudinal upper frameextending lengthwise at right angles to the pivotal axis of the bucket,a pair of scoop se ments supported from the outer corners of said frameand each provided with hinge members extending upwardly toward saidupper frame each of said members slotted to provide a sheave block andhaving hinge elements, a pivotal connection for said elements, bucketoperating sheaves for said blocks and said upper frame and mounted sothat the frame and block sheaves are positioned at each side of the saidpivotal connection, and a closing cable operatively reeved upon saidsheaves and extending upwardly past said frame intermediately of thesheaves in said frame.

9. In an excavating bucket, the combination of a pair of hinged scoopsegments, an upper frame extending longitudinally in the direction ofbucket opening movement and comprising side and end members, aholding-line sheave intermediate said end members, bucket-closingsheaves mounted in said side members intermediate said end members andsaid holding-line sheave, a closing cable for said segments and saidclosing sheaves, and substantially vertically disposed means forsuspendingsaid segments from said end members.

' 10. In an excavating bucket, the combination of a pair of scoopsegments, an upper frame extending longitudinally above said segments inthe direction of bucket opening movement, corner bars pivotallyconnecting theouter corners of said segments with the outer ends of saidframe and each disposed in' a substantially vertical plane in the closedposition of the bucket, means organized intermediate said segments andsaid frame for pivotally connecting said segments together, and bucketoperating means in said frame and in said last mentioned means, all ofsaid bucket operating means being disposed at both sides of the pivotalaxis of the bucket in a spaced apart relation.

11. A clam shell bucket comprising-in combination, a pair of scoopsegments, hinge members therefor pivotally connecting the segmentstogether, an upper frame extending longitudinally of the bucket,substantially vertical supporting bars between the frame and the scoopsegments, and equalizing bars articulated together at one end andrigidly connected to the supporting bars at the other end.

12. In an excavating bucket, the combination of a pair of scoop segmentshaving upwardly extending hinge members pivotally connected together, anupper longitudinal frame disposed adjacently above and at right-anglesto the pivotal axis of the segments when closed and extending lengthwisebeyond said hinge members to terminate above the outer corners of thesegments, substantially vertical corner bars pivotally connected'nearthe ends of the frame and the outer corners of said segments, sheavescarried on said frame and in said hinge members at each side of saidpivotal axis,

the scoop inner corners,

and a cable reeved up and down on said sheaves at each side of saidpivotal axis to close the bucket. V

13. In an excavating bucket, the combination of a supporting means,interchangeable similar scoop segments hung from said means and providedwith upwardly extending and similar hinge members havinginterfitting andinterchangeable hinge elements, a pin for said elements bucket closingsheaves, said members formed to probelow said pin for said vide housingssheaves, pins for said sheaves 1ncl1ned1n said to the pm for thehousings with respect hinge elements, and the bucket operating cable forsaid supporting means and said sheaves.

14-. In a bucket, the combination of a pair ofscoops, a hinge pinpivotally connecting supporting means for the scoops including cornerbars having pivot pin connections with the outer scoop corners, aclosing line, and spaced closing sheaves for the line pivotally mountedin the scoops at each side of the bucket, the axis of the scoop sheaveat one side of the bucket being located above a plane joining the hingepin and the corner bar pin connections at that side, whereby in theclosed position of the bucket the sheaves are spaced farther apart thanwhen the bucket is in open position.

15. In a bucket, the combination of a pair of scoops each provided witha hinge mem ber spanning its inner corners, a hinge'pin pivotallyconnecting said hinge members, scoop supporting means including cornerbars having pivot pin connections with the outer scoop corners, aclosing line, and closing sheaves for the line pivotally mounted in eachof the hinge members, the sheave axes being located at each side of thebucket above a plane joining the hinge and the corner bar pinconnections, whereby in the closed position of the bucket the sheaveaxes are positioned farther apart than when the bucket is in its openposition.

16. In an excavating bucket, the combination of an elongated supportingframe, corner bars pivoted to the ends of said frame and having limitedpivotal motion relative thereto, a pair of scoops having pivot pinconnections with said corner bars, a hinge pin for said scoops, andclosing sheaves pivotally mounted and positioned in said scoops so thatthe centers of the sheaves are located above the planes joining thehinge and the corner bar pivot connections, said frame being extendedabove and beyond the axes of the sheaves. V

17. In an excavating bucket, the combinationof an elongated supportingframe, a pair of scoops connected by a hinge pin disposedvatright-angles to the median line of the frame, corner bars connected'withthe scoop sheaves and ends of said elongated frame and having pivot pinconnections with the outer corners of the scoops, closing sheavespositioned in the scoops intermediate the hinge pin and the corner barpin connections, corresponding sheaves pivoted in each end of the frameand having their axes spaced farther apart than the distance between theaxes of the a closing line for said sheaves.

18. In an excavating bucket, the combination of an elongated supportingframe, a pair of scoops connected by a hinge pin disposed atright-angles to the median line of the frame, corner bars connected withthe ends of said elongated frame and having pivot pin connections withthe outer corners of the scoops, closing sheaves positioned in thescoops intermediate the hinge pin and the corner bar pin connections,corresponding sheaves pivoted in each end of the frame and having theiraxes spaced farther apart than the distance between the axes of thescoop sheaves, and a closing line for said sheaves reeved so as to drawthe sheaves in each scoop toward the corresponding end of of said frame.

19. I11 an excavating bucket, the combination of an elongated supportingframe, a pair of scoops connected by a hinge pin disposed atright-angles to the median line of the frame, corner bars pivotallyconnected with the ends of the frame to permit limited pivotal motionrelative thereto and having pivot pin connections with said scoops,spaced closing sheaves pivoted in the scoops above a plane extendingfrom the hinge pin to the corner bar pin connections, correspondingsheaves pivoted in each end of the frame intermediate the corner barsand spaced farther apart than the scoop sheaves, and a closing linereeved so as to draw the sheaves in the scoops toward the correspondingends of said frame.

20. In an excavating bucket, the combi nation of an elongated supportingframe, a pair of scoops having inner extensions spanning the sides ofthe scoops, a hinge pin for said extensions disposed at right-angles tothe plane of frame elongation, substantially vertical corner barsconnected with the outer ends of said frame and having pivotalconnections with the backs of the scoops, the ends of the frame disposedabove to open and close, a head frame therefor comprising side memberselongated in the direction of bucket opening movement and having endmembers disposed substantially above the outer corners of the segments,spaced pivot pins carried by said end and side members, corner barsmounted on said end pins and pivotally connected with the I outercorners of the segments, said segments provided with a central hinge andhaving sheave pins disposed at each side of and below said hinge, bucketclosing sheaves on said side member pins and said last mentioned pins,the lower face of the frame being located adacent the hinge, and thepins of the segment sheaves being located nearer the vertical centerline of the bucket than the pins of the sheaves in the side members, anda bucket operating cable reeved up and down on said sheaves and thenextended vertically past said frame intermediately of the sheavestherein.

WILLIAM M. VEN ABLE.

